National Assembly approves motion to arrest opposition leader

Sep 22, 2023, 10:06 am

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Rep. Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), looks serious after the vote on the arrest motion for DP leader Lee Jae-myung was approved at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on Sept. 21, 2023./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporters Park Ji-eun & Yoo Jenny

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a motion seeking parliamentary consent to the potential arrest of main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. The result was surprising, because at least 30 lawmakers of Lee’s own Democratic Party (DP) seem to have turned their backs on him, despite Lee’s appeal for the motion’s rejection and his hunger strike that lasted more than 20 days in protest against government policies. Political circles view that some of the DP’s anti-Lee Jae-myung factions have made up their minds as they were disappointed by Lee’s broken promise to give up his immunity from arrest as a lawmaker and some pro-Lee factions’ political activities in the regions governed by non-Lee Jae-myung factions.

The motion was accepted by a margin of 149 to 136, with 6 abstained votes and 4 invalid in a secret ballot with 295 votes cast.

All the lawmakers participated in the vote except three, including DP chairman Lee who has been hospitalized, and foreign minister Park Jin of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) who is accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to the U.S., and independent lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok who is in jail.

The result appears to be an outcome of the main opposition party’s push. The DP, which has 168 lawmakers, was able to dismiss the motion. But considering that there were 110 lawmakers from the ruling PPP, six from the minor opposition Justice Party and nine independent lawmakers who voted to approve Lee’s arrest, at least 30 from the DP are assumed to have cast ballots against their own chairman.

Some analysts say that Lee’s rejection appeal posted on his Facebook account a day before the vote appears to have backfired among anti-Lee faction members in the DP. Lee himself asked for a rejection, abandoning his promise to renounce the privilege of non-arrest, which he declared in his speech at the National Assembly on June 19. “Lee’s political career is over,” said Jang Sung-chul, director of the Public Opinion Center. “Over the past year, there have been many so-called pro-Lee Jae-myung lawmakers opening offices in non-Lee governing districts and engaging in political activities, many other lawmakers felt uncomfortable,” said Yoo Ihn-tae, former Speaker of the National Assembly.

The DP is in shock. “We are very surprised and in shock,” DP spokesperson Rep. Lee So-young said. “The leadership had requested members to vote against the motion, but we feel regretful the results turned out otherwise,” she said. “We will convene an emergency meeting of the leadership after the plenary session.”

Previously, the prosecution attempted to arrest DP chairman Lee due to allegations of being involved in a scandal-ridden land development project in Wirye and Daejang-dong, and illegal fundraising for Seongnam Football Club. However, the DP had blocked the attempt.

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